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From "The Pit Box" with Marcus Richmond

Crew Chief No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet

Marcus Richmond embarked on his first full season at Richard Childress Racing in 2012 where began the season as crew chief on the No. 2 Chevrolet with drivers Kevin Harvick and Brendan Gaughan, earning one victory and two pole awards before joining Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team for the second half of the year. Richmond coached Dillon to a fourth-place finish in the driver championship point standings and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors on the heels of one win, three pole awards, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. So far this season, the duo has collected one victory, three top-five and five top-10 finishes.

Q: How do you set the truck up for Eldora Speedway?
A: “Since this is a new track for everyone in the (NASCAR) Camping World Truck Series, we used some of our resources here on the RCR campus. We went to the guys over at TDR (Team Dillon Racing) and asked them what kind of set ups they use at dirt tracks that closely resemble Eldora (Speedway). The set up for dirt is a lot different than what we usually run every week on asphalt. Luckily, we’ve been able to go to a few tests to see how the trucks will handle with different set up packages in them. We’ve found that the set up is a lot similar to a road course package than anything else. This is mainly because we’ll be turning left and right on dirt. So, I’d say it’s somewhere between a road course and asphalt set up.”

Q: How will the track change during the race at Eldora Speedway?
A: “When we get there, the track is going to be really wet from where they’ve wet the track down in preparation of us arriving. Once they have support classes run on it and then we run on it, it’s going to get really hard and slick. After that, it’s going to be difficult to pick up time or increase the power. It’s going to change a lot throughout the event. Once the sun goes down and nighttime hits, the moisture will come back into the track and it’ll be like it was when we first started. We just have to be able to keep up with the race track.”

Q: What do you think the keys to success will be this week?
A: “The key to success at Eldora (Speedway) is not to wreck. The biggest thing is not to spin out. When we went testing with Ty (Dillon), Austin (Dillon) and Brendan (Gaughan), they probably spun out about 15 times when normally you don’t spin out during a test. We’re going to have to manage our track position, keep our speeds up and stay out of trouble to be able to contend for the win.”

Q: What do you expect the race to be like at Eldora Speedway?
A: “I think it’s going to be a crap shoot. It’s a new thing for everyone that’s there. No one really knows what is going to happen. We don’t know if we’re going to be able to pass or if there will be a ton of wrecks. It’s going to be really eventful to say the least. None of us know what to expect when we unload on Tuesday afternoon.”